You Don't Have to Save Me
by NaleyWriter23
Summary: Nathan Scott and Haley James are more than co-workers, they're best friends; but when Haley starts distancing herself from him, Nathan starts to wonder if there's something she's not telling him.


**I know this isn't an update to Halo (it's coming soon, I promise) but this is a story I just HAD to write. It came to me after watching Joy in Grey's Anatomy yesterday and I spent the last 24 hours writing it. (Thanks for the motivation, Mel!)**

 **It is a one-shot (it's long, so bare with me), and it gets pretty dark at times, but trust me, I'm a big believer in Naley getting their happy endings— so just keep reading. I don't want to give away too much, so I hope you enjoy it!**

. . .

All eyes are on Nathan Scott as he hastily pushes through the doors of Colby & Colby law firm. He is late (again) but that's not why they are staring. No, the women— and, admittedly some men— who work at the firm practically swoon whenever the six-foot-two, dark-haired, chisel-jawed, blue-eyed, lawyer walks into work every day.

At a ripe age of thirty-two, Nathan was now immune to his effect on women— he overlooked their flirtatious smiles and glittering eyes, not to mention some of their rehearsed, airy giggles whenever he flashed a perfunctory smile in their direction. Ten years ago, though, was a different story: a naive and younger Nathan Scott would have easily bought into their seductive smiles if it meant a quick, decent rump in the sack.

Now, he couldn't care less. In fact, the overly saucy stares as he walks across the office started creeping him out.

He was only here to do his job; at least, that's what he repeatedly reminds himself to do whenever he starts to approach _her_ desk.

Haley James.

The girl he's had a crush on since he started working here a little over three years ago. Just call him Jim Halpert from 'The Office'— Haley was his Pam. She had a Roy and everything. Except, her fiancé's name is Will and he's an utter douchebag. Oh, and he's their boss.

"Hey, you," she greets him with a tiny grin. Her magnifying brown eyes fall on his body, and because he is now immune to the way women admire him, it unfortunately means missing out on the fact that Haley James is one of those women (though she makes it a helluva lot less obvious than some of the other desperate skanks around the office because let's be honest, the diamond engagement ring on her finger makes it a bit sinful). Instead, she often teases him about how the women are vultures and he's the last piece of meat on the planet. It's fun making him blush— and flustered.

"Mornin'," Nathan pulls loosely at his navy blue tie and smirks at Haley. She's the only sane woman in the office and, truthfully, she's also probably the only reason why he's still working for William Colby and his father— it helps that she's also by far, the most beautiful, intelligent, witty, funny, adorable, dorky, and charming woman he's ever met.

"You're late again, Scott," Haley teases as she crosses her left leg over her right leg. She is oblivious to Nathan's perusal of her bare legs in the magenta peplum dress she's wearing today.

"That's because the Starbucks line was out the door again and the stupid barista messed up your order, so technically it's your fault, James."

Haley scoffs playfully and Nathan watches as she crinkles her nose in the most adorable way, inadvertently making his heart start galloping.

He holds out her Venti Vanilla Latte (two pumps of caramel swirl, no sugar, extra foam) and smiles when she reaches across her desk to gratefully accept the warm cup.

"Well, thank you. I really appreciate it."

God, her smile is the kind that makes lungs whoosh out air until you're wheezing for a breath, like a ninety-year-old asthmatic. It's one of her best curves, rivaling with her ass, especially in those black pencil skirts she wears.

Nathan's never recognized the dress she's wearing today, so it must be new. He likes it. The color makes her lips look pinker and her cheeks glow brighter. He'd tell her she looks breathtaking but number one, it would probably be constituted as sexual harassment in the workplace, and number two, she's engaged (no matter how hard he tries to forget).

"I better get to work," he sighs and eyes his desk across the room where a stack of papers he knows wasn't there when he left at six last night, now occupies the space next to the computer.

"Alright," Haley smiles at him again, "I'll talk to you later."

He nods, briefly clinking his coffee cup against hers and smirks before turning away and making the treacherous trek towards his desk. The thirsty eyes from some of the older (and married) women cling to him.

"Be careful," he hears her familiar whisper. "The piranhas are extra hungry today."

Nathan shakes his head and chuckles a little louder than he should, but doesn't turn around. Instead, he finds his seat and nods at Jake, the lawyer who sits across from him.

"Hey, man."

"How's it going?" Nathan toggles the mouse on his desk and wakes the bright computer screen. Already he has 43 unread emails. He yawns and takes a quick sip of his coffee, frowning when he realized it's more than half empty. He's going to need more very, very soon.

Jake shrugs, "same shit, different day."

Nathan chuckles, "I feel you, there."

"So I saw your little display with Pam, over there. You going to confess your love for her in the parking lot anytime soon, Jim?"

"Shut up," Nathan hisses. He likes Jake, really. He's a good guy, but it irks the hell out of him whenever he makes comments about his crush on Haley. "It's too early for that shit," he mumbles before staring blearily at one of the superfluous emails invading his inbox.

"I'm just sayin', Nate. I wish you'd at least try to move on if you're not going to do anything about it. She's getting married."

"Yeah, I know," Nathan barks loudly. "I don't need to be reminded."

He hears Jake sigh and instantly regrets his harsh tone. "I'm sorry," he laments seconds later.

Jake shakes his head, indicating it's okay. "Don't sweat it. I'd be upset, too. But listen, I'm serious about the moving on thing. Peyton works with this really great chick we can set you up with-"

"Jake," Nathan glances up from the computer screen and meets Jake's copper brown eyes, "I appreciate it but I'm not interested."

"But—,"

"I've got a lot to do," Nathan cuts him off and nods towards the stack of papers piling on his desk.

Jake simply nods and watches momentarily as his friend and co-worker diligently pours over the papers. In the corner of his eye, he notices Haley giggling about something with the blonde girl next to her. She's the new intern who has made a pass at Nathan nearly every chance she got, but the guy barely acknowledged she existed. If Jake hadn't known about his crush on Haley, he would've thought Nathan was gay. The girl, who Jake thinks is named Amanda, is pretty. Really pretty. If he wasn't already married, he probably would've pursued her. Which is why he thought Nathan was crazy for not even entertaining the thought of at least one date with her. Oh well, he tried, but he wouldn't force it.

. . .

"Nathan's butt looks extra good today," Amanda drawls as she props her butt against Haley's desk. "Doesn't it?"

Haley peers over her glasses and raises her eyebrows to resemble curious little crescent-shaped moons. "What?"

"Oh, come one like you've never noticed it! I know you're engaged but that doesn't mean you can't look!"

Haley giggles. Amanda just started, and at first, Haley didn't think she'd like her. She is a bit ditzy, and the air-headed type, but after talking to her, Haley discovered she's actually really sweet and fun to talk to— even if the majority of the conversation consists of her lusting over Nathan.

She bites the edge of her lip and glances towards Nathan who is already hunched over his desk and eagerly working. She may have been wearing a ring, but Amanda's right, she does have two perfectly well-working eyes and can appreciate a sexy man when she sees one.

"Yeah, his ass does look good in those tight pants," Haley whispers, giggling softly under her breath. She'd just about die if anyone heard her.

"Who are you whispering about?" Dorothy, the firm's receptionist, and probably one of the oldest workers there shuffle over to the girls and tries to pry in.

Amanda grins widely, "Nathan Scott."

Dorothy snickers, "oh, yes! He's certainly yummy!"

Haley bit her lip harder in order to suppress a fit of giggles. She couldn't wait to tease Nathan about Dorothy's crush on him. The woman was well into her seventies and constantly tried to touch Nathan whenever she had the chance. It completely freaked him out, but it was funny as hell.

Still, Haley felt a little guilty for gossiping over him when she knew how much he hated being 'objectified' as he often groaned. But could he blame them? He had to have known how hot he was! Seriously, it looked like he just stepped out of a damn GQ magazine or something. And the beard he just started rocking? Dorothy was right! Yum-my!

As she ogles him once more, her eye catches sight of the glistening engagement ring adjourning her left ring finger and Haley sighs. It was all fun and games until she was pulled out of the fantasy land and plopped back into reality. She loves Will, she really does, but … sometimes she wonders…

"I'd love to feel that firm butt squeezed between my hands," Dorothy licks her lips and Haley's mouth nearly falls agape.

"Dorothy!" She chides, "You're a grandmother!"

Dorothy merely shrugs, "So?"

Amanda's giggle joins the air, "I can't believe he's still single when he looks like that. Are you sure there's nothing wrong with him?"

Haley musters a weak laugh, "he's just so focused on work."

"Damn," Amanda huffs, "I wish he'd at least look at me! You're like, the only girl he talks to. How'd you do it?"

Haley shrugs nonchalantly and takes a sip of the latte Nathan so sweetly bought for her. It's a question she ponders often. When he was hired three years ago, she had already been working there for almost a year, but still dubbed as the new girl. Will, who she also started dating by that time, put her in charge of showing Nathan the ropes, and they had formed a very quick friendship from there. They found they actually had a lot in common; both hail from North Carolina, enjoy watching basketball (Nathan even played it in high school and college), like the same movies, and laugh at the same things. It was easy and enjoyable.

Haley admired Nathan's handwork and determination, too. He moved to New York and got a job at Colby & Colby after quitting his father's firm back in Charlotte. While working on a case late one evening two months after he first started, Nathan divulged his estranged family story and how he no longer speaks to his parents after they all but disowned him when he lost a huge case for them.

Her heart broke for him. It was clear he needed a friend to reach out to, and so that's what she decided she'd be. Now, three years later, she considers him one of her best friends.

"You know, if you didn't have Will, you and Nathan would be really cute together," Amanda says as she twirls a piece of her straight blonde hair around her finger.

At the suggestion, Haley nearly spits on the warm liquid drowning in her throat. Amanda's not the first one to tell her that, but she never lets her mind go there. (Okay maybe once in a while after two or three globes of wine, but still, if Will ever found out, he would freak out!)

"We're just friends," Haley immediately pacifies. Like a bucket of cold water has been poured over her, she sits up straighter in her chair and picks up a random file from her desk. Work. She needs to get back to work.

"I wish I had friends who looked like that," Dorothy quipped, causing Amanda to giggle.

Haley, on the other hand, knows their chatter needs to end before some of the workers start to overhear. But, before she could even tell Dorothy and Amanda that she has a case to get back to, she hears Will's voice call her name from the door of his private office— which, coincidentally, just so happens to be next to Nathan's desk.

The two of them . . . are weary of each other, to say the least. William Senior (Will's dad), adores Nathan's hard work and triumphs over his many wins (which Haley think is what stems Will jealousy, but there's a greater tension there that she's even less aware of), but Will and Nathan are both extremely professional and despite their weird tension, they always seem to maintain placid in each other's presence.

"I'll be right there," she stands and straightens her spine. She ignores Nathan's stare when she walks by him and enters Will's office, where the door abruptly closes behind her.

Nathan's jaw clenches when Will's stupid voice rings behind him. He's always calling her into her office and closing the door— it doesn't take a Harvard graduate to understand what they're doing in there.

He balls his fist under the desk and tries to focus on his breathing.

Seconds later, though, Nathan hears what sounds like a body being slammed against the wall and his hearts plummets to his stomach. He wants to throw up. On the wall behind him, Haley's being screwed by her pretty-boy fiancé and Nathan wants nothing more than to punch him straight in the face. Well, that's a lie. What he wants, more than anything in the world is to be the one who gently gets to throw Haley against the wall and kiss her collarbone until she's moaning.

Nathan feels his pants start to tighten as he pictures it, but when he actually hears Haley scream, he remembers it's not him who is responsible for the sound.

This time, he actually does slam his fist on the desk and ignores Jake's questioning gaze.

"Must be nice to be boss, huh?" He jokes sorrowfully instead, "You apparently get to do your girlfriend whenever you want."

"Nathan—," Jake tries to mollify him but it's futile. Nathan stands from his desk and roughly grabs a stack of papers.

"I'll be in the conference room, where it's quiet." He spits the word 'quiet', throws a glare at Will's door— even though it's still mocking him by being closed— and angrily traipses to the other side of the office where a large, empty conference room awaits.

. . .

Hours later, 4 to be exact, Nathan looks up when he hears the conference door click open and Haley pops in her head.

"There you are! I was looking everywhere for you. It's twelve. Time for lunch."

"Oh," Nathan scratches his head and glances at the clock on the wall behind him. He was so immersed in his work that he actually lost track of time. "Thanks."

"Why are you in the conference room?" She asks and watches him stand to stretch. The conversation from the morning echoes through her brain as she eyes his form-fitting suit. Nathan really is the most attractive guy she's ever seen. When he reaches his arms over his head, the white crisp button down must have pulled from his pants because she catches a glimpse of the thin, raven black trail of hair littering the space below his navel. Fuck, she thinks. It should be a sin to look this sexy. The lower portion of his ab muscles even peek from below the shirt and her grip on the door handle tightens. Oh, her tongue would love to trace the lines of those muscles—

"I just concentrate better in here," he dismisses quickly, not wanting to be reminded of the earlier, traumatic events. It was actually hard to look her in the eyes right now.

Haley nods and smiles at him, completely oblivious to his distant behavior as he gathers his stuff and follows her out of the window-lined room and into the break room just a few feet away.

"What'd you pack today?" She asks when he swings open the refrigerator where he stuffed his brown paper sack in the morning.

"Turkey sandwich. Lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. A side of Cool Ranch Doritos, and a Mountain Dew."

Haley scrunches her nose again, "you are such a guy."

"What?" Nathan laughs and starts unpacking the contents onto the small round table.

"Mountain Dew? Doritos? What're you? 14?"

Nathan laughs again but rolls his eyes, "says the girl whose favorite food is macaroni and cheese."

"Hey, it's food of the Gods!"

"Yeah, if the gods are five-year-olds," Nathan teases and takes a swig of the fluorescent yellow soda.

"Whatever!" Haley sticks her tongue out at him and bends down in front of the refrigerator to find the bag with her name on it. Will had gone out to lunch an hour ago and brought her back something— he's so caring like that, Haley thought silently.

Nathan tries everything in his power to look anywhere but at the curve of her swollen ass, but he's hypnotized. It's not like he hasn't gotten caught staring before because he has, but luckily Haley always dismisses it with a blush and a change in the conversation— Will hasn't caught him yet, thank God, otherwise, he might be out looking for a new job.

Nathan would never want to disrespect Haley, ever. And he knows it's impolite to stare, but Christ, her rear should be mounted in a museum it's _that_ perfect (not that he wants to objectify her, but seriously, it puts the moon to shame)— the point is, he could stare at it forever. He'd never touch it (though his fingers literally itch), so staring will have to compensate somehow.

"What, uh, what are you having?" He almost chokes on his sandwich.

"I'm not sure," she finally turns around and plops the box onto the table. "Will said he picked something up for me."

Nathan watches carefully as she flips the tab of the Styrofoam box to reveal what he thinks is a pathetic excuse for a salad. "That's it?" He guffaws.

Haley furrows her brow and stabs the plastic fork into a bit of bright green lettuce. "What?"

"That's what he got you?"

"Yeah," she says plainly, "what's wrong with it?"

"Hales," Nathan says as he searches the bag for more food, "there are, like, six pieces of lettuce in that box. What are you? A rabbit?" He tries to make it sound like a joke but it doesn't work. He's concerned. She needs to eat and lettuce won't fill her.

"Will says I need to lose a little weight. I'm on a diet."

"WHAT?" Nathan nearly explodes. "A fucking diet? Are you kidding me? Haley, you weigh ninety pounds, you don't need to be on a diet and you definitely don't need to lose weight."

Haley bends her head to curtain her red cheeks with her chestnut brown curls. "Keep your voice down, please," she begs and his heart constricts slightly at her desperation. She didn't really believe him, did she? How could she even think she needed to change? She was beautiful.

"I'm sorry," he lowers his voice, "but a diet, Hales? Really? Come on. You know you don't need to change a thing about yourself. You're perfect."

"Stop it," the blush on her cheeks deepens. "It's not a big deal, okay? I like salads. They're healthy, and it was sweet that Will brought it for me."

Nathan rolls his eyes— any trace of playfulness now completely void. "I don't care. You need to eat," he shoves the bag of Doritos under her nose and wills her to take one.

"I am eating," she attempts to lighten the atmosphere by making a show of chomping down on the leafy greens but Nathan doesn't laugh.

"On my next break, I'm going out and getting you Mac and cheese or something. You need sustenance."

"I'm fine, Nathan. I promise, okay? Just please let it go," Haley pleads. Her brown eyes are wide and filled with soul, trapping Nathan like two pools of quicksand.

"Okay," he finally placates her, but it is anything but fine. He'll be keeping an eye out on her if he has anything to say about it.

. . .

The next day, he's late again. It's the same song and dance, and he ignores Dorothy's crazily batting eyelashes when he walks past her desk holding his coffee and Haley's latte. His eyes settle on her but instead of the typical warm smile she always greets him with (it may or may not have been the best part of his day), Haley's looking down— literally and figuratively. She still looks beautiful— Nathan doesn't think there is ever a time when she's not— but there's something different about her today.

He comes to stand next to her in hopes of cheering her up, but she still doesn't smile and barely acknowledges his presence.

"What's up?"

Haley fights a sigh and finally meets his concerned, blue gaze. "Nothing."

It is then that Nathan notices she's wearing extra make-up. She definitely doesn't need it, but he knows she always outlines her brown eyes with some sort of black pencil to make them stand out more. He's always loved her natural look but today her skin looks more orange than its typical pink flush. He silently wonders if Will told her she should wear more make-up.

Prick.

"I brought you the usual," he says in hopes of eliciting at least some sort of upward curving of her lips. Nothing.

"You don't need to get this for me every day, Nathan." Her voice sounds as tired as she looks. "It's expensive."

Nathan shrugs, "it's not big deal, Hales. Come on, just take it. You know you want it."

"Not today."

His eyes narrow in attempt to analyze her further— it's as if there is a black cloud in the office this morning, blocking her daily radiant and beaming sunlight energy.

"Are you alright?" He leans closer to where she is sitting at her desk, and he swears she scoots her chair further away from him.

"I'm fine, Nathan," she looks at the floor and he knows she is lying.

It dawns on him, then, that maybe Will has told her to stop drinking the lattes in attempt to lose more weight (yes, Nathan is still pissed about it).

"Is this about yesterday? You know, about losing weight?"

Haley huffs, finding his stare again and scowling. "God, no. Would you let that go?"

"I'm just worried about you, Hales," Nathan notices her hand laying flatly on her desk, so he reaches down and takes hold of it softly. She flinches slightly and he pulls away as if she was a flame that had just burned his skin. "Alright, seriously," he stands straight and slams her latte on the desk. A few drops of the caramel colored drink flick into the air and splatter on the glass top. "Are you mad at me? Did I do something to upset you?"

Haley bites her lip and blinks rapidly. Nathan swears the sparkles in her eyes are replaced with growing drops of condensation. He thinks back to yesterday, trying to pinpoint anything he could have done to upset her. After the minor argument at lunch, Haley had acted like nothing even happened. She went on to tell him a story about one of her nieces but in truth, he only half-heartedly listened. He loved watching her light up whenever she talked about her family, but he couldn't appreciate it now that he knows Will is feeding her a bunch of bullshit. Seriously, what guy tells his fiancé to lose weight? Especially when that fiancé is already tiny.

After lunch, they'd worked briefly on a case together and maintained professional— though, Nathan can't really help his wandering eyes sometimes. Still, Haley made no indication that she was upset with him. And, at the end of the day when they parted ways in the employee parking lot, she playfully squeezed his forearm when he told her some lame joke. Haley always had a thing for reaching out and touching people whenever they made her laugh— Nathan, in particular. It always made his heart warmer, like a jolt of lightning coursing right through his veins. There were very few things in the world that Nathan enjoyed more than making Haley James laugh, (except maybe being touched by her.)

So, no, there was nothing he could have possibly done to upset her.

"I'm not mad at you, Nathan. It's nothing. I just had a rough morning is all."

He studies her and watches as she attempts to curl her lips into a smile. It is an imposter, but for now, he'll take it.

"Okay," he laments. "The latte might help, though."

Haley shakes her head and hands it back to him, "I'm not really in the mood for it today, but thank you."

The response is curt, lacking any hint of emotion as if she is a robot and Nathan is a stranger on the street. It hurts him a little, but he shovels the pain into a ditch behind his brain. He'll worry about it later.

He doesn't accept the cup and folds his arms over his chest. "Just keep it. I don't care what you do with it but I don't want it."

Haley's shoulders slump softly and she puts the latte cup on the corner of her desk, reaching over slightly in the process, revealing her forearms, which were previously covered by a thin black blazer.

Aware of the exposed skin, she immediately pulls back and tugs tightly at the blazer to cover her arms— unfortunately, it is a bit short, and her wrists are not completely hidden.

Nathan's eyes zone in on her left arm, where a large, mix of blue and purple colored, bruise embeds her skin like the shiny new tattoo. That definitely wasn't there yesterday.

"Haley," his voice is thick, edged with despair. Tentatively, he reaches for her fingers and picks up her left arm, closely studying the nasty bruise. "How did you get this?"

She brushes it off and shoves his hands away from her arm, careful not to let it touch the tender skin. "You know me, always the clumsy one." Her laugh is forced and he nearly winces.

"Hales, this looks serious. You had to have known how you got this."

"It's not a big deal," she shrugs again but pulls at the blazer self-consciously, as if she suddenly wishes it could cover her face, too. "I just stumbled down the stairs holding my laundry bin last night. I'm fine."

"Maybe you should have a doctor look at it—,"

Nathan tries to reach for her arm again, but she recoils quickly and gives him a harsh scowl. "I said I'm fine, Nathan. Stop worrying about me."

He nearly stumbles backward at the harsh undertone of her voice. She has never looked so… angry. All he can do is nod and scurry to his desk. If Haley didn't want him to worry, then that's what he'll do— not worry anymore.

. . .

When Nathan asks her to to get lunch later in the afternoon, he's not at all surprised when she says no; claiming she's already planning to eat with Will today. She soon scurries out of the break room and disappears for the rest of the day. When Nathan returns from his own break, he doesn't sit at his desk— Haley's familiar cries echo through the wall and Jake gives him a smile filled with pity.

He stays in the conference room until it is needed for a meeting with HR. By then, the office is quiet again and he returns to his desk. Nathan catches a glimpse of Haley's desk in the corner of his eye, but it's unoccupied. When he looks at the time, he realizes she's probably gone home as did half of the other workers. As he tries to busy himself with the main argument for his court appearance tomorrow, his minds reals to Haley's bruise. It looked like a fresh blob of paint; the grayish-blue color resulting from mixing too many colors together. It concerned him how she showed very little regard for it— sure he'd witness her clumsiness on more than one occasion (like tripping on air, dropping folders, and spilling coffee) but he'd never seen her show signs of physical injuries.

His stomach churns on the half-eaten bagel he had eaten for lunch. Haley's one of his best friends and he hates to think of her in any type of pain. He really tried not to worry about her, knowing how much Haley hates to be fawned over, but still— her distance was disconcerting. He only hopes tomorrow will be better.

. . .

Nathan comes to work early today— earlier than anybody else. Keeping Haley's wish, he didn't go to Starbucks beforehand, choosing to stick to the crappy break room coffee. He haphazardly throws his jacket over his chair, flicks on his computer, and waits patiently for Haley to walk through the office door.

Six minutes later, she walks in. Smiling. Nathan's happiness is ephemeral, though, because his eyes soon sink to her hand— the one attached to Will— and he scowls at the stupidly smug smirk on the guy's lips.

He's hated Will since the day he started working there, before he even found out he'd been dating Haley. His cropped, ramen curled hair was always combed perfectly to the side and it was clear, by his Armani suits, that he was a rich city kid (and, okay, Nathan was a spoiled rich kid, too) but Will was pretentious. Having attended Yale for undergrad and Harvard for law school, he thought he was better than everyone. Nathan always rolled his eyes whenever he used words like "loquacious" and "inchoate" — because, seriously, why not just say talkative or beginner?

Nathan nearly gags when Will makes a show of pressing a kiss on Haley's cheek before disjoining their hands and walking over to his office.

"Nathan," he greets with a curt nod. "Happy to see you here early, today." He doesn't sound happy, Nathan notices.

"Well, I have the McGowen vs. Taylor case today I need to prepare for," Nathan says as he tries not to grunt as he stares into Will's squinty green eyes. He's shorter than Nathan, probably not even six-foot. He's leaner, too. A lot leaner, but some how still muscular. At the annual firm's volleyball game, Will always insists on being shirtless and showing off how hard he can serve the ball.

"That's right," Will says. "Jordan Salisbury is Taylor's attorney. One of the best on the east cost."

"I'm confident we will beat him," Nathan goads. Rumor has it Will lost to Salisbury three times— which is why Nathan was given this case.

"Don't get too cocky there, Scott. A lot is riding on this. I hope you're prepared."

"I am," Nathan clicks his jaw firmly, locking in the words threatening to escape from his tongue. _Asshole_.

Will says nothing more and closes the door to his office. Nathan takes the freedom to glance at Haley, who, much to his surprise, is staring at him. She smiles widely and Nathan dismisses the confusion and replaces it with his own happy grin.

"Good morning, Haley."

She throws him a tiny wave, "Hi, Nathan. Good luck today."

"Thanks," their smiles linger across the room until Haley breaks it by greeting Dorothy, who had just walked in.

Save for the tiny thumbs up Haley flashed his way as he left the office an hour later, that was the extent of their conversation for the day. Nathan didn't even plan on seeing her again because he thought he'd be in the court room all day but the jurors reached a verdict fairly quickly, and Nathan's client won the lawsuit— he had been suing a former business partner for embezzlement and fraud, and there was no real way to get out of it. The guy was guilty, plain and simple.

Nathan shared a congratulatory lunch with his client and decided to go back to the office to file the paperwork instead of putting it off, which was where he was now— the filing room.

He doesn't like making a big deal out of winning cases, so he hoped to sneak in and lay-low, but at the feel of someone tapping his shoulder, he knows his cover is blown.

"Hey!" Haley cheers, "you're back early. How'd it go?"

"We won," Nathan tries to downplay it but her grin is infectious and he can't help but smirk.

"Ah! That's so great! I knew you would. You're, like, the best lawyer ever." Without thinking, she throws her arms around his neck and hugs him tightly. It's not the first time they've shared a hug, but this one feels different. Nathan wafts the strawberry coconut scent of her hair and he wishes he could run his fingers through the silky strands. He's suddenly all too aware of her chest pressing against his, and he needs to pull away before it gets embarrassing.

"Thanks," he smiles. "It really wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be."

"Well, a win is a win, so be proud of yourself," she looks better today, he detects. The light in her eyes— while not as bright— is at least there. She's partly cloudy, with peaks of sunshine cracking through. It's good enough for Nathan and he feels her warmth radiate through him— still, there is something different about her and he can't quite place it. His eyes scan her body quickly. She's wearing another blazer, a button down white shirt, and pants instead of the usual skirt. Maybe that's what's different, he wonders. Haley usually wears skirts and dresses in the office, especially because the mid-summer heat is stifling this week.

Haley feels his analytical gaze and tugs nervously on the blazer. It's not big enough and reveals the redness around her neck. She knows she should have opted for the turtleneck but it would have raised more questions— after all, it is the middle of July and almost ninety degrees outside.

"Is that a rash?" Nathan closes the short gap between them again and pulls at the collar of her white shirt. Sure enough, her creamy white skin is now covered in blotches of red— it actually looks a lot like finger prints.

She visibly winces when he gently pokes the tender skin. Further down, it looks as if another bruise is forming. His stomach lurches.

"Nathan," she breathes. The air shifts around them and he senses the alarm in her eyes. "Stop. It's really nothing."

"Don't tell me you got that from falling down the stairs, too," his voice is hushed and his jaw is set firmly as his eyes flicker her face for any sign of the truth.

"I—," she swallows hard and tries to bend away from Nathan's prodding hands. He must get the hint because he drops his fingers to his sides, but does not make any move to back away.

"Haley," he grits with a mixture of nerves and anger, "tell me this isn't what it looks like."

"I-it's not," she recoils but her voice sounds like an echo in a tin bottle.

Before Nathan can interject again, Will's voice breaks through the filing room like a chainsaw to a tree; it's a low, careful hum but filled with threat. "What's going on in here?"

"Nothing!" Haley shrieks and pushes Nathan violently away from her. She hides her exposed neck with the palm of her hand and tries to stop the quivering of her bones.

"It didn't look like nothing to me," Will grits, flaring his nostrils when he stands directly in front of Nathan. "What are you doing with her, Nathan?" His voice is still in an eerie whisper. The only anger reflects in his eyes.

"Nothing," he spits and glares straight at Will. "I was just making sure Haley was okay. The bright red finger prints around her neck suggest otherwise."

Will's lips tug menacingly upward, but his eyes show no sign of panic. Instead, he approaches Haley and threads his fingers through hers. "And did she tell you how she got that?"

Nathan stuffs his right hand in his pocket, shielding the tight ball of his fist from Will. "No, but I think I can guess." His furious eyes shift from a cocky Will to a lip-biting Haley. She's avoiding his stare and studying the linoleum floor.

Will's laugh cackles through the room, "oh, I don't think you can. See, our precious Haley here likes it rough." His lips pull wider, "you'd never guess it but she loves when I'm strong and commanding. You know how some women get off on being the submissive kind," he winks creepily at Nathan, then turns back to Haley. "Isn't that right, honey?"

Haley looks up from the floor and finds Nathan's face— as expected, with complete horror marring his features. Embarrassment enflames her cheeks. "Will," she says softly, "you know that's a secret I don't tell people."

"Oh, but Nathan's your friend, Haley. I don't want him to worry about you or get the wrong impression." Will looks blankly at Nathan.

"It must have been pretty rough to leave marks like that," Nathan zones back in on her neck and nearly gags.

Will takes it as a compliment and his smirk is sickeningly sweet, "It was. Why don't you go ahead and tell him how only an hour ago you were screaming at me to whip you and choke you harder—,"

Nathan shakes his head furiously. He really thinks he's about to hurl. Haley? Sweet, charming, beautiful Haley James likes to be… hurt during sex? It can't be. He refuses to believe it. Sure Nathan had pictured taking her on his desk a few times, but he'd never fantasize about physically causing pain to her. No, the majority of his fantasies focus on giving it to her gently and tenderly. She deserves to be caressed, savored, kissed delicately. Not… tortured.

He looks at her, studies her hard. She's blushing. Maybe it is true? Maybe that's how she got the bruise, too? The bile in his throat starts burning. He couldn't process this.

"I,… I'm sorry, I need to leave."

He's vaguely aware of Haley calling out 'wait,' but he doesn't. His feet are a blur as he runs out of the office— he doesn't stop until he reaches his car, where he hurriedly gets in and speeds off, wanting nothing more than to forget what he just discovered.

. . .

After a sleepless night, Nathan stumbles into work the next morning looking like a man who lives on the street. Dark, swollen bags hang under his gray eyes and he's pretty sure his shirt doesn't match with his pants but he doesn't care. He spent the whole night wondering if what Will told him was true. Picturing it made him sick. The thought of hurting a woman— during an intimate act or not— boils Nathan's blood. Picturing Haley getting choked doesn't turn him on, it fills with rage. He wasn't sure how he'd approach her today, but he knew one thing for sure: he still wanted her in his life. As much as he wanted Haley for himself, Nathan gave up on the idea of having her a long time ago— right around the time she announced her engagement. It sucked, and hurt like hell, but being friends was better than not having her in his life at all. Her secret was just going to take some time getting used to…

Oddly enough, Haley doesn't come into work today. Nathan practically looks up from his paperwork every ten seconds, expecting her to walk in. Will walked in alone an hour ago, a sleazy smirk on his lips, but avoided Nathan when he went into his own office.

He doesn't even think about asking Will where she is, so instead, he tries calling her. When she doesn't answer, the worry grips Nathan's stomach tighter. He knows something is wrong. He feels it. So on his lunch break, he goes to her apartment.

She lives with Will, of course, but he's been there for a few parties before and it's not too far from the office.

When he gets to the door, he inhales a sharp breath and raps his knuckles loudly. She doesn't answer right away, and he hopes she's at least home.

"Who is it?" Her voice is weakened behind the wooden door and he wonders briefly if she has a cold.

"It's Nathan," he calls out, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. He doesn't know why he's suddenly nervous.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice is clear, laced with panic, but still covered behind the door.

"You didn't show up to work and you haven't been answering my calls. I'm just here to make sure you're okay."

"I'm sick. Go away."

Nathan sighs headily and runs his fingers through his hair. If he thought he looked disheveled this morning, he's afraid to see what he looks like now. "Well, can I at least get you anything?"

"Really, I'm fine," she hiccups on the word 'fine' though, and Nathan takes it as a sign that she's crying.

"Haley, open the door," he demands, and just as he's about to jiggle the handle, it swings open. The sight he is met with literally takes his breath away— and not in the good way. It feels like someone hit him in the stomach with a baseball bat and he visibly falters. "Jesus, Haley, what happened?"

Her right eye is the same color as her arm was two days ago; dark purple with splotches of a blackish-blue. Her lower lip is swollen and traced with dried blood. His eyes only have a few seconds to take it all in before she's flinging herself into his arms and crying.

All he can do it hold her. Hold her as she breaks down in his arms, wracking with loud, audible sobs.

"It's okay, I'm here. I'm here," Nathan tries to console her, but he finds it hard to do as every fiber in his body ignites with a livid fire.

"I'm so sorry," she cries into his chest and he hugs her tighter.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?"

"I didn't tell you the truth yesterday," she says when she finally regains her breath. When she looks up, her eyes are barely open and his heart breaks, knowing his biggest fears are about to be confirmed. "Will did this, didn't he?"

She nods and wipes furiously at her eyes, wincing when her hand grazes over the swollen bruise. "I didn't ask for it, Nathan. I never did. He just— he does it and I… I'm so scared."

Nathan almost chokes on the air he inhales but braces his arms tighter around Haley and doesn't let go. Just like that, his world shifts on its axis, and stops spinning. Will abuses Haley— the words taunt his ears and it takes everything inside of him not to break something. He needs to be strong for Haley; she needs him now more than ever.

"I'm not going to ever let him touch you again," he swears and presses a kiss on her forehead.

She feels like jelly against his strong arms, and he doesn't want to let go. She's literally leaning on him; if he falls, she falls.

"You- you can't let him know that you know, Nathan. He's going to hurt you," she cries harder and squeezes his waist tightly, as if she is out to sea and he's the life-raft.

"I'm not afraid of him," Nathan declares. "I'm going to kill him for this, Haley. No one gets to hurt you and get away with it."

"Nathan, please," she pleads in-between another hiccup of air, "I can't lose you."

"You're not going to lose me, Haley. I promise you."

She nods weakly against his now tear-stained shirt but he doesn't care. All he wants to do is keep her safe. "Come on, pack a bag. We're getting out of here."

"What?" She steps back, her arms still clinging to his body, but stares at him wildly. "I can't. . . he's going to find me."

"I'll take care of it, Hales. Just get your stuff and I'll take you back to my place. Do you trust me?"

She nods but still doesn't let go.

"I'm not going anywhere," he promises her again and gently untangles her from around him. "Just grab what you need and we can go. You're not going to get hurt again."

"Why are you doing this, Nathan?" She sniffles, "I mean, you don't have to save me—,"

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. Haley, I…" he shakes his head. He can't say it. Not yet. "Look," he licks his dry lips, "I don't want to lose you either. You're my best friend and nobody deserves to be in an abusive relationship. I want you safe and I'll do whatever I can to protect you."

He watches as she wipes her tear stained cheeks. He wants to tell her she still looks beautiful but something inside of him tells him now is not an appropriate time. She disappears down the hall a few seconds later and he paces nervously while she quickly grabs her belongings. His mind is racing with questions but they will have to wait until he knows Haley is safe from Will.

"Okay," she announces, reemerging from the bedroom, "I'm ready."

Nathan somehow musters an encouraging grin and gently laces his arm around her back, "let's go."

Moments before they leave the apartment, the door bursts open and Will is waiting with a grimacing scowl. Nathan and Haley both freeze as fear drapes them like a blanket.

"I knew it," Will chuckles dryly, "I fucking knew you were cheating on me with him," his eyes fall on Haley's bag and he shakes his head ruefully.

Nathan knows it looks bad, but he steps in front of Haley and locks his jaw. He won't go down without a fight. He promised Haley she'd be safe and dammit, he'll do whatever it takes.

"Will, this isn't what it looks like, I swear," he hears Haley call out.

"No!" Nathan explodes, "Don't lie to him, Haley. Tell him! Tell him you're leaving him!"

Will cuts his eyes at the two of them and pushes the sleeves of his white shirt up his arms. "You're leaving me for him, huh?" His voice is dangerously low and Haley recognizes the fire building in his eyes. She tries to grab onto Nathan but he steps forward and pushes Will up against the wall. Hard.

"She's leaving you because you're a fucking pathetic excuse of a man who hits women," Nathan grits between his teeth. "You'll never hurt her again."

"Fuck off, Scott." Will ducks under Nathan's arm and frees himself from his rigid grasp. "This is your fault, you know. I have to watch you two flirt every fucking day! Maybe if Haley wasn't such a whore, I wouldn't have to punish her—,"

That was it— that was Nathan's breaking point. In a split second, he curls his fist and slams it straight into Will's nose. He stumbles backward but doesn't fall. Somewhere in the background, he hears Haley start to scream but the venom-laced between his eyes can only focus on the blood flinging through the air. As he curls his left fist for another punch, Nathan is momentarily stunned when Will shoves him backward, and he pummels right into Haley.

The force of his heavy body knocks her to the ground and she lets out a loud shriek. When Nathan turns to see if she's okay, Will grabs him again and this time, pushes him forcefully out of the apartment door.

Nathan stumbles wearily and gasps when he catches a short glimpse of Haley on the floor. Will is hovering over her, fist curled, as the door slams shut in Nathan's face, blocking the view. His hands find the door handle, but it's locked tight. He jiggles it wildly with one hand, and the other fist is beating furiously at the wood. The door doesn't budge.

"You touch her and I'll kill you. Do you hear me?" Nathan screams so loud he's sure the vein bulging in his neck will burst from the vibrations.

He vaguely hears Will say something like "you must think I'm an idiot, Haley, but I knew it all along," before the sound of a slap echoes through the wall and Haley screams out in pain.

"Haley!" Nathan screams, "it's gonna be okay," but the lie falls on his lips and he knows he has to do something. He can't let Will hurt her.

"I swear to God, Will, if you hurt her again I'm going to kill you with my bare hands."

Tears are pooling in his eyes. He blinks roughly and remembers his cellphone in his back pocket.

His eyes are blurry but he somehow manages to punch the numbers of 911.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"My friend— she, she's getting assaulted by her fiancé. He locked me out and I… oh God, I can hear him hurting her. You have to hurry up. Please."

"We're dispatching the police right now, Sir. Please stay calm."

"I can't stay calm!" Nathan cries, "he could kill her! Oh God, he's going to kill her…"

"Sir, you need to breathe. The paramedics and police are on their way now. Can you tell me what you hear through the door?"

Nathan takes a steadying breath, but his nostrils are shaking and he can hear the furious galloping of his heart. "I can't hear anything. It's silent—" he thinks he's having a panic attack as the hallway starts to blur and his stomach begins quaking.

The operator is talking to him but he doesn't hear a word she says. For the next five minutes, Nathan is in a hopeless state of panic. He shifts from pacing the hallway to slamming on the door again, until finally, the police burst through the corridor and run to Haley's apartment.

"It's locked," he says dejectedly, but the police use their weapons to knock it off its hinges and he follows them inside. His eyes immediately land on an unconscious Haley and for the second time that day, the world stops turning.

"Haley!" The tears fall fast and he's by her side in seconds, "Baby, please wake up—,"

"The fire escape door is open. He must have gotten out," Nathan hears a stocky police officer say. "Dispatch, this 324. We've got a runaway, south of 16th street. Send backup. Over."

"You have to catch him," Nathan demands from his knees, "and you have to help her. Jesus, I don't think she's breathing."

He's vaguely aware of the paramedics pushing him out of the way and loading Haley onto the stretcher. Everything after that fades to black.

. . .

It feels like only minutes had passed since Nathan was pacing the halls outside of Haley's apartment door, and now, somehow, it is the halls of the hospital he's pacing. The sickeningly white walls and cheap fluorescent lighting do nothing to quell his worries— if anything, it only makes him more nauseous.

Haley is somewhere in an emergency room, getting looked at by doctors and Nathan can do nothing but pace furiously. His hands rhythmically clench and unclench into tight balls of anger. He wants to hurt someone, or maybe punch a hole in the hospital wall.

But before he can do that, the doctor calls his name and he immediately stops pacing.

"Mr. Scott?"

"Yeah— is Haley okay?"

The middle-aged woman nods and allows a soft smile to trace her lips, "she was unconscious when they brought her in but it was just from the trauma caused by the blow to her head. She has a minor concussion but she's awake and alert and I guarantee a full recovery as long as she rests. It's going to take a few weeks for the bruises to heal but it was nothing too serious."

Nathan is not even aware of how wide his smile is, "can I see her?"

The doctor nods again, "she was just asking for you."

He follows her down another white painted hallway and into the hospital room where Haley is laying in a hospital bed.

Her eye and lip are still swollen but the doctors managed to bandage some of the worst cuts. She looks a bit like she'd just gotten home from a war, which Nathan thinks is partly true. Living with Will was a war for Haley— he's just glad she made it out alive.

Sensing his presence, Haley turns her head slightly and musters a weak smile. "Hi."

"Hi," he rushes to her side and takes his hand in hers tentatively. She's staring at him with her half-lidded doe-like eyes and he raises her palm to his lips to kiss it softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I suppose. Better now that you're here."

Nathan laughs when a giggle escapes her throat. "You had me really scared there for a second, Hales."

Any trace of laughter immediately dissipates at the seriousness of Nathan's tone. "I, uh, I really didn't know what he was going to do to you."

Haley purses her lips together and absentmindedly begins to rub her thumb over his hand, "Don't worry, I'm okay now."

"Will escaped," Nathan sighs remorsefully, "but they're looking for him."

Haley just nods. She doesn't have the energy to even respond.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Nathan. I never wanted you to get involved."

"I understand now," he swallows thickly, "why you've been distant. I wish you have told me but I don't blame you, Haley. I don't blame you for a second. He was a bad guy and you were scared— but you're strong. You're so strong and we're going to get through this. Together."

An invasion of tears brim the lower edges of her eyes and she gives him a teary smile. "You're so good to me, Nathan Scott. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve to have you in my life."

"Stop it," Nathan interrupts her softly, "don't say that. You do deserve me and I'm not going anywhere whether you like it or not."

She laughs quietly before turning serious again, "good. Because I don't want you to go."

Their sweet moment is interrupted by a knock on the door. Haley shouts to come in, and they watch as a petite blonde nurse escorts the same stocky police officer from before, inside of the hospital room.

Haley struggles to sit up on the bed, but Nathan assists her and props a pillow behind her neck. She smiles in response.

"Ms. James, I'm officer Wilkesbarrow. How are you feeling?"

"Uhm," she coughs slightly, "good, but now I'm nervous. Did something happen? Is Will still on the run?"

Officer Wilkesbarrow puts his hand up, signaling for Haley to stop and take a deep breath. Nathan doesn't let go of her hand once.

"An employee at the bank a few blocks down from your apartment called 911 when she saw a man running with a bloodied shirt. Our guys caught him trying to get into a car. They've arrested him and he's behind bars now. Turns out he has a restraining order from his last girlfriend in Boston. Anyway, assault and battery can be up to 25 years of jail time, so be rest assured, Ms. James, that William Colby won't be hurting you ever again."

She starts to cry again, but this time, they're tears of pure joy. Nathan cradles her head against his chest and for the first time all day breathes a sigh of relief. He almost passes out though, when, seconds later, Haley's lips are pressed against his in a firm kiss.

"Wh-what was that for?" He asks, unblinkingly when she pulls away smiling.

"I wanted to know what it was like."

"Know what was like?"

"To kiss the hottest guy in the law firm," she blushes.

"And?"

"And I liked it," she gushes shyly.

A full fledge grin cracks Nathan's lips, "I liked it, too."

"You know, uh, I've kinda always wanted to do that."

"Really?" His eyes are nearly as wide as the space between his parted lips. "Me too."

"Yeah, but obviously I couldn't. I mean, I secretly always wished you would make a move but then I worried Will would find out and it would really make him upset and he'd hurt you instead of me and then—,"

Nathan cuts off her worried ramble with another kiss and he thinks he can definitely get used to this. Her lips are tender so he brushes his delicately against hers until she pulls away and hides her face in his neck.

"I must look hideous right now."

He shakes his head and kisses her hair, "you've never been more beautiful to me, Haley James."

. . . . . . . .

Three-and-a-half Years Later:

Haley watches from her desk with a playful grin as Nathan struts into her office with his own smirk, carrying two plastic cups from Starbucks. She arches an eyebrow and stares knowingly at him. "Honey, you know I can't drink coffee."

"I know," he avers, "it's decaffeinated."

"Did I ever tell you I love you?"

"Hmm," he pretends to think about it as he wraps an arm around her lower waist when she stands from her chair, "maybe once or twice."

"Well, I love you," she whispers against his lips and winds her arms around his neck to let her fingers itch through his scalp. Nathan smirks and pulls her flush against him; their lips dance in a passionate kiss for a moment they both ache to savor.

"I love you, too."

Staring into her eyes, he almost can't believe she's his— that those are the same eyes that chose to spend every day waking up next to his. He knows he is lucky and won't dare to question it.

Haley's phone rings on her desk and she drops her hands from Nathan's neck, much to his dismay, "one second," she mouths and reaches over to answer the phone.

"Scott and Scott law firm. This is Haley speaking, how can I assist you?"

Nathan's smirk morphs into a smile. Scott and Scott— that's right, because Haley is a Scott now. His eyes locate her sparkling wedding band and remember the day he slid it on that finger a little over six months ago; the happiest day of his life.

His mind goes further back in time, recalling those six weeks of agony after Haley was released from the hospital. True to his word, he let Haley stay in his apartment with him. Even though Will was in jail, Haley didn't feel safe living alone and she was diagnosed with PTSD after having a week's worth of nightmares reliving Will's many attacks.

Though they kissed in the hospital, neither discussed it for a while. Nathan was worried Haley just did it in the heat of the moment, and Haley worried Nathan didn't want her like that. In reality, though, he was far too concerned about keeping her safe and happy to even consider asking her to be his girlfriend.

She was grateful for his patience, though, because she really needed to get back on her feet and regain composure. Neither went back to work— in fact, they sent in their resignations the same day Haley was released. William Colby Senior felt absolutely terrible and gave them both a hefty severance package, but when allegations got out that Will sexually harassed a few other women in the office, his father retired from the law firm and sold it to another father and son team.

(Nathan thinks it's called Davidson Family Law now, but he really doesn't know.)

About five or six weeks later, Nathan accompanied Haley to Will's hearing— he was ruled guilty and sentenced to twenty-two years in prison (thanks to both Haley's testimony and his former girlfriend's, as well as a woman who worked for him previously).

Haley visited him only once in jail to tell him the things she never got to: she never once cheated on him, though she admitted that Nathan is a far better man than he ever will be, and that obviously, their engagement was over. She calmly told him she did not love him anymore, but most importantly, she forgave him. It took a lot out of her, something she had worked on for weeks with her therapist, but in the end, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Once she was able to move on, Haley decided she wanted to move back home to Tree Hill, North Carolina— and Nathan wanted to follow.

It was one of their first fights ever; Haley insisted Nathan had done enough for her and didn't need to give up his life anymore for her, but he was vehement on moving with her.

"Nothing is keeping me in New York, Haley. Nothing! Besides, I want to be your boyfriend and we can't really be in a long distance relationship, now can we?" He had said.

She dropped the box of clothes she had been carrying and stared at him. "What?"

"I want to be your boyfriend, Haley. I understand if you don't want to date me, but can't we at least try? I'm crazy about you."

And, in typical Haley fashion, she ran over to him, wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed the hell out of him.

He smirked after winning that argument and she didn't resist it any longer— two months later, they were both living in an apartment in Tree Hill, close to all of her friends and family (who all happen to love Nathan.)

After settling into their new apartment, Haley decided she wanted to be a lawyer for women suffering from domestic abuse and sexual assault. A local firm hired her, but she didn't get to handle many of the cases she wanted to. Nathan, on the other hand, also was hired for a small business law firm in downtown Wilmington (a twenty-minute drive from Tree Hill), but it wasn't exactly what we wanted either. Fortunately, it paid the bills well and gave him enough money to buy him and Haley a medium-sized beach house, where they moved in a year later.

Six months after that, he bought her a diamond and proposed on the beach behind their house, vowing to never hurt her. She screamed yes and they made love right there on the shore.

Around the same time they started planning their wedding, Nathan decided he wanted to start his own firm— with Haley as his partner. They'd specialize in domestic abuse and women's rights, and name it Scott and Scott.

Haley cried for days, deeming it as the best gift she had ever received when Nathan gave her the deeds to the office property he purchased on her 30th birthday (he was three and a half years older than her).

So, here they were, a year later, happily married and working together at their own law firm— oh, and five months pregnant.

Nathan nearly squeals giddily when his eyes fall on Haley's semi-swollen pregnant belly. A month after they returned from their honeymoon in London, Haley excitedly came to him with the positive pregnancy test and they spent the night celebrating with happy tears, passionate kisses, and tender lovemaking.

The law firm might have been the best gift Haley received, but the news that his wife is carrying their baby is the best damn gift Nathan could have ever asked for.

As Haley talks on the phone to a client, she feels Nathan's hands reach around her stomach but she's too giddy to even try to swat his hands away. She's just as excited as he is about their baby.

"Okay, Mary. Thank you so much for calling me. I'll follow-up with you in the next few days. Bye."

Haley hangs up the phone just before she moans at the feel of her husband's lips attaching to her neck. "Mhmm, baby, as much as I love when you do that, you know my strict rules about no sex in the office."

Nathan sighs and pouts like a petulant child but understands. Haley wants to maintain professional at work— at first, he was a little upset, arguing that she and Will used to do it (low blow, he knows that now and isn't too proud of it) but she swore on her life they'd never had sex in his office. When Nathan brought up the times he'd hear her being slammed against the wall and moaning, Haley wearily explained that no, it wasn't sex, but rather, Will hurting her.

Nathan was so mad at himself. How could he have misheard that? He should have known. He could have stopped it. But Haley reassured him and said there was no way he could have known, and she apologized to him for making him even think that that's what was going on. . . and then she and Nathan had a quickie on her desk, but she swears it's never going to happen again, she just couldn't resist his damn eyes.

Nathan still likes to remind her of it, but he's never pushy, and she's forever thankful for a husband as sweet and caring for him.

When her mind wanders to a dark place sometimes, the place where her life could have gone… she shudders. How could she have almost married a man who beat her daily? Will wasn't always bad, but she wasn't naive enough to think that he'd change. She knew what he was capable of and if Nathan hadn't provided her with the strength she needed, who knows what would have happened. Will scared her— scared her enough that she was afraid to ever leave him.

Now, she never has to worry about it again. Nathan, who she sometimes has to beg to be a little rougher in bed, is always gentle around her. It makes her melt.

He's going to be a great father, too.

"What are you thinking about?" Nathan asks, catching the far-off glint in her eyes.

Haley turns and gives him a lazy, loving smile. "Just how much I love you."

"I love you, too, Mrs. Scott," his hands find her stomach again and gives it a gentle rub, "and I love this little guy."

"You're so sure it's going to be a boy, aren't you?" She laughs and almost melts at the smirk he gives her.

"Oh, I know it, babe. Scott's always have boys. But don't worry, we'll have a daughter someday, too. And she'll be just as beautiful as her mother," he leans down and gives her another loving kiss.

Haley relaxes into his touch and sighs blissfully, "thank you."

"For what?" His voice sounds like tires against gravel, and Haley thinks she's never heard anything sexier. Her no sex in the office rule is definitely starting to wane.

"Everything."

. . . .

Oh my God, you guys. I just spent like 24-hour writing this story. I hope you love it as much as I loved writing and creating it. (Shout out to MissMelsie for keeping me sane and helping work out some plot stuff— what would I do without you?)

Anyway, before any of you start freaking out about the legal terminology— I AM NOT A LAWYER AND HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF LAW so pleeeeease don't tell me in the reviews that something I wrote is wrong.

I always value constructive criticism but I worked my ass off on this story and I will be devastated if people start to tell me things are wrong or not factual (so for the sake of this story, just assume it's realistic even if it's not).

Thanks for reading— it's a long one, I know. I hope it wasn't too dark, but I tried to make it as naley-fluff as possible. I'd love to hear what you thought it :)


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